Now this is a plan I can support...




I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in
a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000
bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman
and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to g ive $425,000 to every person 18+ as a
We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free.
So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife has $595,000.00.

What would you do wit h $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college - it'll be there
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car - create jobs
Invest in the market - capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

R emember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks
who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company
that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces..

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out
a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it.
Sell off its parts.
Let American General go back to being American General.
Sell off the real estate.
Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here's my rationale.. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!

How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC .

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned
instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Here we go again. Wedding number 3 this year is upon us. I'm putting my list to gather and it just keeps growing. This wedding is so different then the last one in many good ways. First of all, it is my little girl. I get to walk my little girl down the isle. Second, it is local and not alot of traveling. Third, we don't need translators. I realize that Sean's family is from Twin Lake, but we can still understand them. The wedding itself will be as formal, but the reception will be different. There will be alcohol and the food will be more simple. In other words, much more laid back. I'm so excited.

How many of you watched the first presidential debates. I was not one many. I felt that the new products channel was more important. They were selling back scratchers.
I know I should be more concerned about how we are interfering in other countries business, but the automatic nose picker was much more exciting. Even watching grass grow in the dark would be more interesting.

This week my daughters get married. Catherine has busted her tail to put together this event. Right now her and her future husband are living with us. This is ok because they were able to save money for the wedding. They will most likely live with us until after the Honey moon. I am glad that we were able to help them, but it has to be a drag for them.

One more hectic week and then hopefully back to some semblance of normal.

When I was a young lad on the southeast side of Grand Rapids that was the world. People went to school there, raised families there, worked there, and lived their life out there. Aside from a few trips around Michigan or if you were fortunate, around the United States, everything was around the area. Very few of my friends left the area to go to college, deciding to go locally. When I decided to go to Ferris State College I was considered going a long way away. You would have thought I was going around the world when after College I elected to go and live in upstate New York.
Now, Most of my friends that I grew up with have moved away, many living abroad. I have friends that live all over the world, both old friends and new friends. Our little neighborhoods have grown. I could not have planned my life out. Marrying and girl from New York, living there, and in Michigan, and Indiana. Having 3 Children, and one child who we took guardianship of, and now watching them marry. My wife and I have endured major medical problems that has stop us from being Millionaires. So much has changed except one thing. My faith in Jesus Christ. Through it all, he has guided my hand and has lead, and is leading me on an incredible journey. I've learned to enjoy things, even when they didn't go my way, and enjoy them even more when they do go my way. I believe that the down times make the up times that much more enjoyable.
This weekend my oldest sister will celebrate her 60th birthday. To me this is incredible. The following weekend my oldest daughter will get married. Two of my three biological children will be married. My father is passed on, and now my kids look to me like I was a wise sage or something. I can't go back and ask my father his advice, so I have to give them my words of wisdom. Scary isn't it?

It was so good to hear our president talk about the recession. He talked about business failing, banks failing, home being foreclosed, people without jobs, and the housing market has stalled. Then you have the stock market losing ground and if the federal government doesn't bail them out thing could get worse. Wise up, this is a depression. Do I think they should be bailed out? Yes, but all the top executives should lose their jobs and pensions. The only difference between the great depression is that the top executives are not throwing themselves off the tops of buildings. Today, they have their golden parachutes to cusion the fall. Once again the small business looses money and has to go out of business because these big companies lost money , but are now being bailed out. Many of these big companies that are in trouble, have shipped their labor forces over seas. Wall street got in trouble last time because of speculative buying and selling. What the president doesn't realize is that the free enterprise system cannot work when greed is rampant and uncontrolled. There was a tea party in Boston where the protest was taxation without representation. Greed was the reason for that demonstration. Maybe it's time for another tea party?

Here we go again....... I still have more to say about this past weekend. During the reception, we gathered around the piano and of course I was asked to play. We had other instruments joining in. I suddenly remember an old song from 1963. The name of the song was"Sukiyaki". It was a number one song in the USA and was sung all in Japanese. Once I started playing it, all the Japanese people gathered around and started singing. They were all very happy and surprised that I would know that song. Through translaters I finally found out what the song means. The name of the song was put on by some American that could not speak Japanese. The only word they could speak was "Sukiyaki" which means food. The true words of the song means to walk with your head towards the sky so that your tears would not touch the ground. They had a great laugh when I told them what the song was named over here.
I guess later, the Japanese released an English version, but it was never released over here. It's no wonder they didn't release it over here after putting that title on it.

Well, I got the result from my stress test. As Data would say, "All system are working within required peramiters". They just adjusted some medications. In other words, they doubled my meds. I guess with one more wedding I may need them.

My son and daughter-in-law rock. Their Family from Japan rocks. The brunch yesterday turned into a lunch and dinner. We laughed, we talked, we ate, and we drank. I can't remember when I have had such fun. Donald and Akiko had to work overtime translating for us, but they did wonderful. To watch my son translating into Japanese was so cool.
When we left, Akiko's father, brother and daughter -in-law ran down to the end of the driveway to wave goodbye to us.
I didn't want the day to end. Here is a captain of industry, a real estate Mogul, bowing and showing respect for little ole me was unbelievable. If I'm representing the Americans to him, I sure hope I didn't fall on my face.
Have I ever said how awesome my daughter-in-law is. She is beautiful, gracious, intelligent, kind,awesome, and etc.............. On the scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best) she is a 20 or above. My son is so truly blessed.
When we left, instead of bowing, we hugged. Wow, what a weekend.

WOW, WOW, AND WOW.

Yesterday was Donald's and Akiko's formal wedding. It started earlier in the week with people coming in from all over the country and the world.
Friday started with us picking up Eumeka, Akiko's friend, at the Grand Rapids airport. She now lives in Washington D.C. We had errand to run in GR so Eumeka came along. We then had to return to the airport to meet up with Donald and Akiko to greet her father, brother and his wife. We got there before Don and Akiko to find that their flight was going to be early. Thank God that Eumeka could translate as we were the greeting party. Don and Akiko showed up about 10 min later. The rest of the day was running errand and the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and then back to Muskegon around 1 am.
Saturday morning started with setting up the reception area at the Holland Arts Council, ladies getting their hair and nails done, and being to the church in Douglas by 12:30. Then it was decorating the church and pictures. When the guest started arriving, some of us paired up with an interpreter and introduced Akiko's to ours. After the service, that came off beautifully, it was back into Holland and the reception. Liz and I were at a table with my Mom, Rev. Andy Nacajima, and Akikio's family. Andy was our interpreter. It was a beautiful reception and we danced to music. The more we danced and sang the less we needed interpreters. Then they asked if I would play the piano along with other instrumentalist like drummers and other instruments for a mini jam session. I then played the 1963 hit, Sukiaki, and everyone joined in. When the reception was over, we had to take down, and then returned to Muskegon around 1:30 am. We have a brunch in Holland today around noon.

Well this should start a busy weekend. Today Liz and I have to get the church cleaned for Sunday. Tomorrow we start picking up people at the airport in Grand Rapids. Liz and Cat are making 50 dozen cookies with Akiko in Holland tonight. Tomorrow I pick up the rental car for the weekend and Liz and I are off to GrandRapids to start picking up people. We also have to pick up Sean and Cody's tuxes in Grand Rapids. The rehearsal is tomorrow night and the wedding is on Saturday. Then there is a breakfast on Sunday mornings, before we start driving people to the airport.

I'm still alive today. I had my stress test yesterday. Good news is that they didn't send me right over to the hospital. This was the first time is 6 years that I have been able to run the whole test. I still have to wait to see what is going wrong. My bottom number on my blood preasure is 94 and it should be around 65 or 70.

Some people are like Slinkies,
Not really good for anything,,,,,
But they still bring a smile to your face,,,,,
When you push them down a flight of stairs.

Well here is the latest update.

Tuesday I have to go in for a stress test.

Cody and I picked up his new car. It needs some work before it is road worthy. (Brakes etc...)

Next week is Don and Akiko's big wedding.

Today I have to go in and get the old ticker checked out. There has been some weird things going on in my chest. My wife is insisting that I get it checked out, so if it makes her happy, who am I to complain.
I went to Grand Rapids yesterday to drive the ladies for a bridal shower for Cat and Akiko. The shower was hosted by my sisters . Donald and I went out to eat while the ladies were at the shower. His and Akiko's wedding is a little over a week away.
It's so hard to believe that two of my kids are getting married and one is moving out, and Cody is driving and buying and trading cars. Definitely not the way I had imagined it as a child. It has been much more interesting.

One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides
>to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to
>take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her
>book.Along comes a Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman
>and says, 'Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?'
>
>'Reading a book,' she replies, (thinking, 'Isn't that obvious?')'You're in
>a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not
>fishing. I'm reading''Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know
>you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you
>up.''For reading a book,' she replies,'You're in a Restricted Fishing
>Area,' he informs her again,'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm
>reading''Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could
>start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up.''If you do
>that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault,' says the woman.'But I
>haven't even touched you,' says the game warden.'That's true, but you have
>all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.''Have a
>nice day ma'am,' and he left.MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads.
>It's likely she can also think.

Well the countdown has started. 11 Days until Dona...
Well the countdown has started. 11 Days until Donalds and Akiko's wedding. They are being married in Douglas and this should be quite an occasion. Akiko's father and brother are coming up, plus a lot of Akiko's Japanese friends. This should be interesting because I do not speak Japaneese and Akiko's father does not speak english. Now I know that there will be many people there who can translate, but it still makes me very nervous. We also will have people coming from all over the world and the United States. I am so proud of Donald and Akiko that I hope I don't embarrass them too much.
On the 4th of October, Catherine and Sean get married here in Muskegon. Catherine has been working her butt off the set up this day. They are hoping to be moved out of our house by that time, but if they can't, they get to come home from their homeymoon to our house.
Lindsey has moved out to live with her boyfriend, so the house will come down to Liz,Cody and myself.

I awoke this morning to the same smell I smell every year at this time. It is the smell of defeat. The Lions(The Detroit Lions, a professional football team)got beat by the second worse team in the league. The Lions are the worst. They have become the joke of the NFL and an embarrassment to the state of Michigan. Even if you are not a sports fan, they are still an embarrassment to you. They are worse then the Tigers, but not by much. I don't get it. The Lions are a joke, the tigers are a joke, the presidential candidates are jokes, and the current president, congress senate,state of Michigan Governor are jokes. With all these jokes, no one is laughing.

Have you been waiting for what will next go wrong. Well here goes. I let Cody use the Stratus yesterday because it was raining and his car leaks. He got rear ended. They hit him in the same place that was previous hit and so the damage is minor. But the other damage is going to cost me . The accident cause a belt guard and one other part to fail so that we need about $500.00 in repairs. With two weddings, bridal showers, and LJ in the hospital this has been a fun week. Anybody got a spare grand or more?

It is Labor Day 2008. This is a celebration of the working American. How sad that only 1/2 of Americans are working. We can celebrate all the jobs outsourced to other countries. Maybe we can celebrate the worst economy since the great depression. There is great news on the horizon. We will either have the first black president, or the first female vice president. That should solve all our problems.